Foldable cot for infants

ABSTRACT

A FOLDABLE COT FOR INFANTS COMPRISING TWO END FRAMES AND A MID FRAME, UPPER LINK MEMBERS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE END FRAMES TO THE MID FRAME, CENTRAL FITTINGS, LOWER LINK MEMBERS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE END FRAMES TO THE CENTRAL FITTINGS AND MEANS FOR RELEASABLY CONNECTING SAID CENTRAL FITTINGS TO THE MID FRAME, WHEREIN SAID COT IS FOLDABLE BY FIRST DISCONNECTING SAID CENTRAL FITTINGS FROM THE MID FRAME AND THEN ALLOWING THE SAID END FRAMES TO MOVE TOWARDS EACH OTHER SO THAT THE SAID LINK MEMBERS PIVOT ABOUT THE POINTS OF CONNECTION OF THE ASSOCIATED END FRAMES AND TOWARDS THE ASSOCIATED END FRAMES.

m WW J. F. GLOVER 3,6@6,620

FOLDABLE COT FOR INFANTS Filadl Sapt. 8, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR JAMES F. L OVE I? p J. F. GLOVER FOLDABLE COT FOR INFANTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 8, 1969 INVENTOR JAMEs 7 aLovER United States Patent 3,606,620 FOLDABLE COT FOR INFANTS James Frederick Glover, 19 Marriott St., Parkdale, Victoria 3194, Australia Filed Sept. 8, 1969, Ser. No. 856,921

Int. Cl. A47c 2/00, 27/08 US. Cl. 99 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A foldable cot for infants comprising two end frames and a mid frame, upper link members pivotally connecting the end frames to the mid frame, central fittings, lower link members pivotally connecting the end frames to the central fittings and means for releasably connecting said central fittings to the mid frame, wherein said cot is foldable by first disconnecting said central fittings from the mid frame and then allowing the said end frames to move towards each other so that the said link members pivot about the points of connection of the associated end frames and towards the associated end frames.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Foldable cots of existing types are not as satisfactory as could be desired. Some are cumbersome to fold and others require detachment of bolts or parts and often they do not fold into a convenient and compact size for handling.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an improved foldable cot which overcomes the foregoing disadvantages and is also comparatively simple in construction so that it can be economically produced.

According to the invention, the improved cot comprises two end frames and a mid frame, upper link members pivotally connecting the end frames to the mid frame, central fittings, lower link members pivotally connecting the end frames to the central fittings and means for disconnectibly connecting said central fittings to the mid frame.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cot in erected position for use.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the frame portion of the cot in the erected position.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the central fittings.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are views showing the means for disconnectibly connecting the central fittings to the mid frame.

FIG. 6 shows the frame portion of the cot in the act of being folded.

FIG. 7 shows the frame in fully folded position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the illustrated construction, the two end frames 1 are of substantially inverted U-shape while the mid frame 2 is of U-shape. The end frames 1 are connected at the upper end to the mid frame 2 by upper link members 3 which are pivoted at 4 to the end frames 1 and at 5 to the mid frame. If desired, the ends of the link members 3 adjacent to the pivots 5 may be upwardly bent as at 6 to facilitate the folding of the cot.

The central fittings are indicated at 7 and are preferably of inverted U-shape each having a channel portion 8 and a downwardly extending flange 9. The lower links 10 are pivoted as at 11 within the channel portion 8, so that, when the cot is extended, said lower link members 10 are in subsantially horizontal alignment. The outer ends of said link members 10 are pivoted as at 12 to the end frames 1 near to the lower ends of the latter.

The means for disconnectibly connecting the central fittings 7 to the mid frame 2 preferably consist of a conical socket member 13 secured, as by welding, to the fiange 9 of each central fitting to receive an upstanding pin 14 secured to the mid frame 2, see FIGS. 4 and 5.

The cot may also have a canvas, fabric or other covering 15 along its sides and ends suitably secured to the end frames 1 and link members 3 and 10. Such covering may be made removable as by means of press studs 16, and, at the parts adjacent to the pivots 4, 5, 11 and 12, the covering may be gapped or cut away as at 17 to prevent it from interfering with the folding action of the cot.

The lower link members 10 preferably support a light wire mesh or like mattress 18 on which the usual foam mattress for the infant is supported.

When the cot is erected for use, the conical socket members 13 on the central fittings 7 snugly fit over and receive the upstanding pins 14 on the mid frame 2 as is shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. This engagement holds the cot rigid in the erected position.

To fold the cot, an upward pull is applied to the central fittings 7 to disengage the socket members 13 from the upstanding pins 14 on the mid frame. The end frames 1 are then pivotally collapsed fiatwise to lie one against the other. In this action, the upper ends of the mid frame 2 to which the upper link members 3 are pivoted move downwardly, see FIG. 6, and the mid frame can then be pivotally swung over one of the end frames 1 so that it folds fiatwise with the inwardly folded end frames 1. When so folded as in FIG. 7, the cot is very compact and can be easily handled or carried.

The central fittings 7 each preferably have an attached handle as 19 to enable the upward pull on the central fittings to be readily applied for disengaging the socket members 13 from the upstanding pins 14 on the mid frame.

The end frames 1, mid frame 2 and upper and lower links members 3 and 10 may be made from light metal tubing While the central fittings 7 can be conveniently made as light metal pressings so that the cot is light in construction and capable of economic manufacture.

The end frames 1 and the mid frame 2 are, of course, so constructed and the pivots 4, 5, 11 and 12 so arranged that the mid frame 2 can be pivotally swung over one of the end frames 1, as previously mentioned, when the cot is being folded. This is apparent from FIG. 2, the mid frame 2 being made somewhat wider than the end frames 1 for such purpose.

The lower ends of the end frames 1 may be fitted with suitable feet or floor pads 20 and the upper ends of the mid frame and the exposed ends of the link members 3 and may have plastic caps as 21.

The invention claimed is:

1. A foldable infants cot comprising a frame including end frames and a mid frame, said frames being vertically disposed in substantially parallel relation when the cot frame is erected for use, link members pivotally connected between the upper ends of each side of said end and mid frames, central fittings releasably connectable to each side of the lower end of said mid frame, and link members pivotally connected between the lower ends of said end frames and the central fitting on the corresponding side of the mid frame, whereby the frame is foldable by lifting the central fittings to release them from said mid frame to enable folding the lower link members upwardly while the upper link members are folded downwardly as the end frames are moved toward each other in parallel relation and the mid frame is swung about its pivotal connections with the upper link members to an inverted position, the collapsed frame having a height substantially equal to that of the erected frame.

2. Foldable cot as claimed in claim 1 wherein said central fittings comprise socket members engageable over and releasably receiving upstanding pins on the mid frame.

3. Foldable cot as claimed in claim 2 wherein the central fittings each have a channel portion within which the lower link members are pivoted.

4. Foldable cot as claimed in claim 2 wherein the central fittings each have a downwardly extending flange to which the socket members are attached.

5. Foldable cot as claimed in claim 1 wherein the central fittings each have a handle to enable the upward pull to be applied.

6. Foldable cot as claimed in claim 1 including a covering along the sides and ends of the cot and secured to the end frames and upper and lower link members.

7. A foldable cot according to claim 1, wherein said mid frame is wider than said end frames and said upper link members are pivotally connected to the outer sides of said end frames and the inner sides of said mid frame and said lower link members are pivotally connected to the inner sides of said end frames to enable said upper and lower link members to fold past each other and said mid frame to swingaround one of said end frames when the frame is collapsed.

7 References cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 

